Sail On

This song is a tribute to the heroic lifeboatmen of Margate, nine of whom lost their lives when their surfboat Friend to All Nations capsized during a rescue mission in December 1897. Thirteen men set out on the boat, powered by oars and a sail. Nine of those on the rescue mission, including three from one family, drowned in the tempest. Sympathisers across Britain and beyond sent donations to a fund set up to provide support for the families of those who perished. However, a self-appointed band of the local great and good decided that the money would be better invested in a memorial statue. Imported Italian marble was the material of choice. The stone was so heavy that a special road had to be constructed along which to transport it from the harbour to the local cemetery. Meanwhile, the families of the deceased were left in poverty, receiving little of the money that was collected, eventually having to appeal to local churches for alms. Understandably this caused considerable resentment across the community. The statue, not the familiar one in the image shown here, stands in the local cemetery, many people still totally unaware of its existence. The crew's selfless act of humanitarian bravery, not undertaken for money or fame, but purely because seafarers understood the need for help in times of distress, remains something that we could learn from today. Has our unspoken ethos of self-interest and the denial of the interrelatedness of all things brought us any closer to happiness, fulfilment and progress? Sail On In the storm-lashed black of a December morn’, many years ago, The stricken crew of a sinking ship signalled: Save Our Souls, Thirteen fearless men set sail, courageous, true and bold, into a sea as black as the devil’s heart and more than twice as cold and we say, sail on, sail on, wherever you may go, the moon will guide you on, Sail on, sail on, wherever you may go, the stars will guide you on… The storm it showed no mercy, and whiplashed by the wind, The first great roller crashed down on the Friend and the sea came pouring in, They dropped the sail to get an even keel, but the fury of a second wave Upturned the boat, sending nine good men to a cold and watery grave And we say, sail on, sail on, wherever you may go, the moon will guide you on, Sail on, sail on, wherever you may go, the stars will guide you on… The town went into mourning, the people deep in shock, Couldn’t recognise the faces of the dead, battered on the Nayland Rock Salt water on the cheeks of the living, was not sea, but bitter tears Shed for love and respect of nine good men they knew, who knew no fear And we say, sail on, sail on, wherever you may go, the moon will guide you on, Sail on, sail on, wherever you may go, the stars will guide you on… Across the country people dug deep For any money they could find, To send to support the women and the children left behind But the funds were spent on statues of fine Italian stone, By men who valued the cold, dead rock above living flesh and bone. And we say, sail on, sail on, wherever you may go, the moon will guide you on, Sail on, sail on, wherever you may go, the stars will guide you on…